Headlines

Colorado AG Details Sharp Rise in Antisemitic Attacks, Targets
UK Universities See Nearly 80% Surge in Antisemitism Incidents
Italy Senate Approves Bill to Adopt IHRA Definition of Antisemitism

🎧 Click Here to Listen & Subscribe

Transcript

You're listening to Antisemitism Watch, I'm Rachel Adler.

Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser spoke September 30th at the Babi Yar Commemoration about a significant rise in antisemitism. According to coag.gov, Weiser cited data indicating Jewish Americans were targeted an average of 17 times per day in 2025. He also reported a 39% increase in antisemitic assaults involving deadly weapons from the previous year. Weiser detailed painful examples including a car crashing into a Michigan synagogue, Jewish elected officials feeling unsafe, a Colorado student group calling for the release of a convicted assailant charged with a federal hate crime, and a Colorado school board member allegedly using an antisemitic slur. The Attorney General framed rising antisemitism not just as hatred of Jewish people, but as a "warning sign of a sickness in our society and the threat of a culture in decline."

In the UK, a new report highlights a significant surge in antisemitic incidents at universities. According to algemeiner.com, the Community Security Trust, or CST, recorded 178 university-related antisemitic incidents between the 2024 and 2026 academic years. This represents an nearly 80% increase compared to the period before the October 2023 attacks. The CST report noted a 14% increase in the 2025/26 academic year alone, with 95 incidents recorded, compared to 53 in 2022/23. Most incidents involved abusive behavior, verbal abuse, antisemitic comments, or graffiti targeting students, staff, or Jewish organizations. However, the CST report also documented two incidents of extreme violence in 2024/25 and six assaults across the two-year period. The CST also found that 16 antisemitic incidents were perpetrated by university staff during these two years. British education minister Lucy Powell stated, "No student should have to choose between expressing their identity and feeling safe on campus, yet for too many Jewish students that remains a reality."

In Italy, the Senate has approved a bill to formally adopt the IHRA definition of antisemitism into national law. The bill, approved on March 4, 2026, now awaits a final vote in the Chamber of Deputies, scheduled for October 2, 2026. Wanted in Rome reports that if passed, Italy would be the first country to write the IHRA definition directly into binding national legislation. The central provision is Article 1, which adopts the IHRA's 2016 operational definition and its illustrative examples. Wanted in Rome notes these examples include describing Israel's existence as racist, applying double standards to Israel, and comparing Israeli policy to Nazi conduct. Backers cite data from the CDEC Foundation showing documented antisemitic incidents in Italy nearly doubled from 454 in 2023 to 877 in 2024. Victor Fadlun, president of the Jewish Community of Rome, argued existing hate-speech law is no longer adequate, and the Union of Italian Jewish Communities welcomed the Senate's approval. The bill has split the Democratic Party, with opponents focusing on the illustrative examples and concerns that it could chill criticism of Israeli government policy.

A far-right politician has drawn criticism for using Holocaust inversion rhetoric. According to jpost.com, James Fishback, a critic of Israel, likened abortion to the Holocaust during a speech at the University of Mississippi's Turning Point USA chapter, stating it was "worse than the other one." The Combat Antisemitism Movement had previously flagged one of Fishback's social media posts for similar remarks. Fishback also used antisemitic terms like "goyslop" and called for severing ties with Israel.

A new initiative aims to strengthen Jewish leadership on campuses. Philanthropist Laura Lauder is launching the Jewish Leadership Accelerator, a nine-month paid fellowship for young Jewish campus leaders, reports eJewishPhilanthropy. The program, set to launch with a pilot cohort in San Francisco in January, aims to retain leaders after college by providing stipends, mentorship, networking opportunities, and guidance on balancing careers with Jewish communal involvement. The accelerator was conceived partly in response to observing how campuses have grappled with antisemitism and the need to support young Jewish leaders pushing back against it, according to Lauder via eJewishPhilanthropy.

I'm Rachel Adler, thank you for listening to Antisemitism Watch.

Follow Antisemitism Watch in your podcast app so you don’t miss the next update.
This report was generated with AI assistance and may contain inaccuracies. Please verify important details with primary sources.

🎧 Click Here to Listen & Subscribe

Sources:
- algemeiner.com: https://www.algemeiner.com/2026/09/30/antisemitism-uk-universities-increasing-security-charity-says/
- coag.gov: https://coag.gov/blog-post/attorney-general-remarks-at-the-2026-babi-yar-commemoration-sept-30-2026/
- wantedinrome.com: https://www.wantedinrome.com/news/italy-antisemitism-bill-ihra-explained.html
- blogs.timesofisrael.com: https://blogs.timesofisrael.com/how-many-coincidences-does-lithuania-need/
- jpost.com: https://www.jpost.com/diaspora/antisemitism/article-910231
- ejewishphilanthropy.com: https://ejewishphilanthropy.com/laura-lauder-launches-fellowship-to-keep-young-jewish-campus-leaders-from-falling-off-the-map/
- columbiaspectator.com: https://www.columbiaspectator.com/news/2026/09/30/emerging-from-years-of-campus-protests-bridgecolumbia-wins-national-award/